7 Nights North Norway-Whale Safari, Aurora Borealis

7 Nights North Norway-Whale Safari, Aurora Borealis

$2,400.00Price
Norway has a spectacular coastline, its fjords and mountains are renowned for their beauty. In the far north, about 350 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle we find the island of Kvaløya, the whale island. In early winter enormous schools of Herring from the Barents Sea come together here in the fjords to winter. The Herring attracts large numbers of whales, as they feed on it. On an exploratory voyage in 2015 about a 100 Orca's and 60 Humpback Whales were seen in one single fjord at Kvaløya. Therefore this voyage will be dedicated to meeting these giants of the seas. During the voyage the fjords and islands around Kvaløya and Ringvassøya will be explored. Three days will be spent in the fjords near Kvaløya to see the whales. The other days offer plenty of opportunities to sail under canvas and to explore some of these remote islands on foot. In winter the amount of daylight is limited but during the dark hours we have the opportunity to see the Northern Lights. This amazing phenomena can only be seen when it is dark and the sky is clear, with not much light pollution around. The voyage will offer ample opportunities to admire the Aurora Borealis from the remote bays where we will be staying for the night.

  • Day 1: We will embark our vessel  in Tromsø and sail the next morning.
    The voyage starts in the town of Tromsø, also called 'the Paris of the North' because of its nice atmosphere. Here the 100 year old two mast schooner Noorderlicht will be waiting in the harbour. In the evening there is time to explore the town.


    Day 2: Hike up a trail to the 306 metres high hill Storheia
    Early in the morning we will depart from Tromsø and sail towards the north-east, into Langsundet. In this magnificent fjord we plan to land at the small village of Hansnes from where we will attempt to hike up a trail to the 306 metres high hill Storheia to admire the view across the fjord. We will spend the night in Dyrsfjorden at the northern tip of the island Ringvassøya.


    Day 3 - 5: Orca's and Humpback Whales and also good chances to see White-tailed Eagles
    The next three days we will spend in Vengsøyfjorden and Kaldfjorden, the area where many whales have been seen in recent years. Besides Orca's and Humpback Whales there are also good chances to see White-tailed Eagles, as they also want their share in the Herring frenzy. This eagle is one of the largest birds of Europe and a resident in northern Norway. In the afternoon, when the daylight is over, we plan to make small hikes in the area and hope for some clear sky in order to see the ‘Tricky Lady, as the Aurora is sometimes called.

     

    Day 6: Opportunities to see the Northern Lights
    Then we continue our circumnavigation of Kvaløya and sail to the small island of Sommarøy. Also here there are good opportunities to see the Northern Lights and the island offers good hiking possibilities. Therefore we spend the daytime of the last expedition day on this lovely island to explore the coastline with its small bays and white beaches and maybe even climb to the top of the 211 metre high Mount Hillesøya. From here there are excellent panoramic views of the rugged coastline.


    Day 7 - 8: Complete our circumnavigation of Kvaløya and disembark in Tromsø
    In the afternoon we sail back to Tromsø and complete our circumnavigation of Kvaløya. We spend the last night on board in Tromsø, where we disembark the vessel in the morning on day 8.